In the spirit of empowering ladies everywhere to get it on as much as they want, we’ve compiled a list of 30 totally legit reasons we should all be having more sex. These are scientifically backed, well-researched facts that show how upping the frequency of sex in your life serves mainly to improve your life in multitudinous ways, from your heart health to the glow of your skin.
1. It boosts your immune system.
Not only does regular sex make you happier (we assume), but it also keeps you healthier overall. Back in 1999, researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvaniafound that college students who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of a certain antibody compared to students who had sex less often.
2. Intercourse lowers your blood pressure.
One study shows that sexual intercourse specifically—as opposed to masturbation or other forms of sex play—has a significant impact on lowering systolic blood pressure (the first number on your blood pressure reading, or the force with which your heart is squeezing to release blood outward).
3. It counts as actual, bona fide exercise.
For those of us who, ahem, don’t exactly look forward to a trip to the gym, it’s comforting to know that sex counts as real exercise. It’s been reported that your average romp in the sack, depending on your weight of course, burns as much as 300 calories per hour—all the more reason to get it on as much as possible.
4. Sex actually reduces your risk of dying from a heart attack.
One study found that men who had sex at least twice a week were half as likely to die from heart disease than men who had sex less often. That’s a huge decrease in risk, and considering that most men are big fans of sex to begin with, it’s just one more reason for them to participate in the activity.
5. Orgasm has the power to reduce pain.
Numerous studies have shown that having an orgasm produces certain hormones that block pain receptors in the body and raises your pain threshold. Additionally, for us ladies, masturbation can also reduce the painfulness of menstrual cramps. Huzzah!
6. It helps you sleep better.
There’s a reason that everyone in movies and television shows swiftly nods off after copulation: the act of orgasm increases the hormone prolactin, which aids in sleep. If you’ve been having trouble falling asleep recently, it’s time for a little roll in the hay.
7. It makes you closer to your partner.
For those of you in committed relationships, having sex with your partner will help bring you closer together. Intimacy encourages communication, and the feelings of closeness you have with your significant other after sex can also help actively reduce stress.
8. It makes you look younger.
One study done by researchers at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland found that people who were enjoying lots of sex with a steady partner—four times a week, on average—were perceived to be seven to 12 years younger than their actual age. Researchers looked at participants through one-way mirrors and guessed their ages; they found that the hormones released during regular sex, like testosterone and estrogen, keep the body looking young. For us ladies, estrogen has also been shown to give us soft skin and shiny hair.
9. It combats mental fatigue, anxiety, and depression.
If nothing else, sex takes you out of your own mind, to help reduce stress and relieve some of the pressures of everyday life. For those of you in committed, happy relationships, sex can let you escape your own mind as much as any other form of physical exercise.
10. It trumps money in the happiness factor.
According to one recent U.S. study, sex makes people happier for longer than money does.
11. Along those same lines, sex costs nothing.
One of the better aspects of sex: unless you make a habit of frequenting prostitutes, sex is totally free. It’s also democratic: sex is something nearly every human being desires, and engages in, at some point. It’s only natural!
12. It will give you a literal energy boost.
According to some sources, men can transfer energy to their female partners via the testosterone in their semen. This means unprotected sex—with a partner you trust and whose medical history you know, of course—is a literal shot of energy, ladies.
13. It’s an exercise in creativity.
Let’s face it: whether you’re single or in a long-term relationship, sex can get boring for everyone. Doing it the same way every time will send anyone directly to sleep—trying new things and opening your mind to new tricks is a great way to exercise your creativity bone.
14. It can boost your self-esteem.
If you’re having regular sex with a partner (or multiple partners) who essentially worships the ground your naked body walks on, that will make you feel pretty good, no?
15. Sex ramps up your libido.
It might seem a little self-explanatory, but sex itself helps boost sex drive. In laywoman’s terms: the more you have sex, the more you want it. And the more you want it, the more you have it. It’s a splendid cycle of sexual rebirth; the less sex you have, the lower your libido, and the less you’ll crave sex to begin with. So why not just get in there and make it happen?
16. It helps you bond with your girls.
It might sound odd, but sex stories make for excellent fodder come girls’ night. Even if your experiences are, um, less than savory—stories of terrible sex make for great stories after you’ve had a couple martinis.
17. It heightens your senses.
Studies have shown that sex increases the acuteness of senses like taste and smell—which just means that when you’ve finished your romp, you can enjoy that slice of pizza, piece of chocolate, or glass of red wine that much more. (Not that we’ve ever tried it.)
18. Reduce your man’s risk of prostate cancer.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, the more a man ejaculates, the lower his risk of getting prostate cancer. So by having sex with him, you’re really just doing his health a big favor, right?
19. Celebrate your lady parts.
It’s a scientific fact that the clitoris is literally the only organ, in either male or female anatomy, whose only purpose is to give pleasure. That’s pretty awesome; you may as well make good use of it.
20. Help keep your man focused on you.
One 2012 study found that oxytocin, the hormone responsible for creating feelings of love, is elevated in men after sex, and that oxytocin drives men in committed relationships to stay away from other women.
MORE: 10 Things That Kill a Guy’s Sex Drive
21. Regular sex has powerfully positive effects on women’s long-term health.
It’s a known fact that regular sexual intercourse increases levels of estrogen in women; increased levels of estrogen, in turn, help protect us from the terrible diseases that can come with old age, like Alzheimer’s and osteoporosis.
22. Sex helps keep your menstrual cycles regular.
An irregular menstrual cycle can be majorly annoying and hard to regulate; having more sex helps make ladies’ menstrual cycles more regular, which is just better for everyone.
23. It helps increase flexibility.
If yoga isn’t really your thing, tackling new and different sex positions can help increase your flexibility without you even noticing it.
24. The more sex you have, the longer you’ll probably live.
All the research already mentioned combines to suggest that the more sex you have, the more longevity you’ll have. It has so many positive health benefits that many researchers think it’s essentially a fountain of youth.
25. It helps you feel connected.
As mentioned, sex increases your levels of the “love hormone,” oxytocin—but beyond your closeness with your partner, sex can also help you feel more connected to life in general. Literally every creature with reproductive organs has sex—you’re just one part of a very long chain of life on Earth.
26. It can actually give you swagger.
This is almost too awesome to be true, but it really happened: one study shows that vaginal orgasms gave women “a gait that comprises fluidity, energy, sensuality, freedom, and absence of both flaccid and locked muscles.” In laywoman’s terms: it makes you walk taller, with more confidence.
27. It feels good.
This one is self-explanatory. Sometimes you need to treat yourself to something that just feels good, without thinking about it too hard. (As long as you do so responsibly, of course.)
28. It helps you let loose au natural.
It’s pretty much impossible to be uptight while you’re having sex; the more you get down and dirty, the more you’ll be able to let yourself go, without the addition of substances like alcohol and drugs.
29. It helps you get outside of your comfort zone, in the best way.
Sex (if you’re doing it right) also forces you to step a little bit outside of your comfort zone. This might be in the form of trying a new position, or just being a little bit more open with your partner; regardless of how you do it, the more you have sex, the more you will be encouraged to try new things, and that’s most often a good thing.
30. It’s fun.
The multitudinous health benefits aside, sex is just good old-fashioned fun. You actually don’t really need a reason to do it, which is perhaps the best reason of all—it’s fun, empowering, healthy, and will make you a happier person. So get right down to it!